


Love in a Time of Pursuit

by seaofolives



Series: Rogue One First Anniversary @ Tumblr [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills - Greg Rucka
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Movie(s), Pre-Rogue One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 00:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12972165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaofolives/pseuds/seaofolives
Summary: Baze and Chirrut find time to show their love in the middle of a mad escape.





	Love in a Time of Pursuit

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 1 of Rogue One First Anniversary Week with the prompt rebellion! I'd put this at pre-GOTW but the timeline really isn't relevant.

They really did it, this time. This time, they really had it coming! Maybe if Baze had been at a much better place, he would be laughing triumphantly at their achievement, like this was a new trophy, a new record high. Presently, though, he was nowhere near that place of comfortable assurance. He was, in fact, outside. Running. For dear life. 

He twisted and barreled straight into another narrow street, perhaps the hundredth or so, they were all starting to look alike and NiJedha wasn’t exactly known for its creativity, only to stop for what must be the hundredth or so time now, turn back, and dart straight out, grabbing Chirrut’s wrist as he went. He didn’t have to explain why. 

“ _Halt!_ ” said a Stormtrooper, several heavy armored footfalls giving chase. 

“ _Fugitives found, sector 9,_ ” said another. 

Baze cursed under his breath. They couldn’t keep running forever; he and Chirrut were no longer as spry as the hazards of their lifestyle might require for them to be and the longer they kept this on, the smaller their circle would shrink. The Stormtroopers were starting to close in on them. 

“This way,” Chirrut cried. Baze followed. They sped down the New Market, flanked by empty stalls that were shuttered or otherwise left for the looters with no one to stop them. That was another problem Baze and Chirrut were facing—last night, at exactly the hour that he and Chirrut had paid a visit to one of the Imperial ports, a group of insurgents had stolen into an Imperial barracks and set it alight. A very short battle ensued after it, but the Empire’s rage was such that the total annihilation of their attackers was not enough to satisfy it. So they went for the Holy City and made everyone pay for the crimes of a few. 

And that was why there was nowhere for them to hide now—empty streets were great for running (case in point: chasing) but a teeming, churning crowd would have been the best arrangement for them. 

In the absence of one, they took to the backstreets, the shortcuts that they knew. Chirrut pulled at Baze’s hand again and they turned left. Stopped and took him right. Stopped again. 

Baze read the surprise on Chirrut’s face before he understood why—they were at a dead end. The walls had sealed them in at an odd angle, an effect of NiJedha’s careless industrialization, and were all too high for them to scale before the Stormtroopers could shoot them down—a possibility that was becoming more real for every second that passed. 

He cursed again, shrugging off the blaster slung across his shoulder to prime it. “We have no choice but to fight our way out,” he snarled. 

“There is too many of them,” Chirrut protested, frowning. His blind eyes stared down at Baze’s feet, his hands tight around his walking stick. “There has to be another way.”

“We are not going without a fight.”

“I know,” Chirrut snapped. For a brief moment, he was silent. 

And then he brightened up suddenly, looked up to Baze’s direction and said again, “I know!” 

“What!” Baze whipped at him, surprised at their good fortune. 

“Kiss me.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“It sounds silly but it will work!” Chirrut insisted, short of adding, _I’ve tried it before._ “Trust me,” he said. And to Baze’s misfortune, he did. That was the thing, he trusted Chirrut with his whole damn life! 

There was no time to argue, he could hear the Stormtroopers coming. Dropping his blaster, he pushed Chirrut up to the wall and kissed him. Their lips caught each other in a familiar touch, and he felt Chirrut tremble slightly. Or maybe that was him, maybe that was both of them. They were both tired, both winded and both, in some way, scared for their lives and for each other. If they were to be caught now, Baze thought as he pressed his lips harder, they at least had one last kiss to share before everything went to pot. 

Those dreaded footsteps arrived finally. They stopped, shifted. They started again. 

Baze could hardly believe it when the blaster fire hadn’t come long after their first kiss. The entrance was open, and they were free to go. He couldn’t believe it! He turned to Chirrut to tell him the good news. 

Chirrut was smiling with the look of contentment on his face. “I guess this time, we really hit the jackpot with that shipment, didn’t we?” 

Baze burned to his ear, glaring at him. “That’s nothing to smile about!” he snapped. 

“Be quiet! Or they’ll hear you,” Chirrut warned him wisely. Baze would have thought that would have been the end of it until Chirrut grinned and told him, “As if you didn’t enjoy that kiss.”

Baze would have growled if he wasn’t worried about the Stormtroopers picking him up but he did roll his eyes. He would not, however, admit that Chirrut was right—a little bit of danger made the romance so much sweeter and worth it, after all. But Chirrut didn’t need another reason to tease him. 

“Come on,” was all he said, grabbing Chirrut by the hand. Their fingers wove familiarly between each other. When the coast was clear, Baze led Chirrut out, heading opposite of the Stormtroopers.


End file.
